Cardinals Clip Falcons in Opening Round of CIT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Friday night kicked off the 72nd annual Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT) with a highly anticipated first-round matchup between the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons and the NAIA Division II Concordia University Ann Arbor Cardinals.

In a game marked by intense competition, the Cardinals narrowly defeated the Falcons 54-28, dropping CUW to 6-10 on the season.

The opening quarter was tightly contested, with both teams playing strong defense. Concordia Ann Arbor held a slim 8-3 lead as the teams headed into the second quarter.

At the 7:26 mark of the second, senior Aubrey DeBauch (Gillett, Wis.) sparked a brief scoring run. First, she converted a layup, then assisted junior Kaitlyn Carothers (Columbus, Ind.) on a basket to cut the Cardinals' lead to 14-7.

DeBauch and Carothers continued to be a dynamic duo throughout the quarter. Carothers added another layup off an assist from DeBauch, before DeBauch herself drove to the basket for another layup to keep the Falcons within striking distance.

At halftime, the Cardinals led 24-12.

The Falcons came out strong in the third, with sophomores Andrea Butterbrodt (Green Bay, Wis.) and Jayden Ross (Baraboo, Wis.) each scoring layups in CUW's first two possessions. Butterbrodt kept the pressure on, hitting two more layups to trim the deficit to nine points with 4:39 remaining in the third.

However, the Cardinals maintained their composure and pushed their lead to 12 by the end of the quarter, 38-26.

In the fourth, Concordia Ann Arbor seized control. Behind their home crowd, the NAIA Cardinals steadily increased their lead, ultimately securing a 54-28 victory.

DeBauch and Butterbrodt led the Falcons offensively, each contributing 10 points. DeBauch also recorded a team-high three assists. Junior Ava Booth (Plymouth, Wis.) led the team on the boards with eight rebounds.

Next, the Falcons will face the fellow NCAA Division III and Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) opponent in the Concordia University Chicago Cougars in the third-place game of CIT, with tip off set for 1:00 p.m. ET.

The two teams previously met on December 17, where the Falcons emerged victorious with a dominant 70-42 win.